Thursday October 2, 2003

A QUITE OASIS - Once complete this area on the CUmberland Regional Health Care Centre grounds will be a quiet oasis of beauty and greenery. Called the Holly Spicer Healing Garden, the area is a lasting monument to the late Spencer's Island woman's generosity. Pictured above on the left is garden architect Gordon Ratcliffe and Keith Thompson of Fundy Landscaping Services.

County Woman Bequeaths Healing Garden To Hospital - by Sandra Bales - Amherst Daily News
NAPPAN - Thanks to the generosity of a Cumberland County woman's final wishes, patients, staff and visitors to the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre will soon be able to visit a beautiful healing garden on the hospital grounds.

The Holly Spicer Healing Garden is currently under construction at the Nappan facility and is expected to be completed by the end of October. The work on the $90,000 garden is being done by crews from Fundy Landscaping Services. "Construction is just clicking along," said Jodi Swan, managing director of the Cumberland Health Care Foundation.

Morris Haugg, an Amherst lawyer and member of the Cumberland Health Care Foundation, explained the garden was made possible by the late Holly Spicer who passed away on April 1, 1999. Haugg, who wrote Spicer's will in January 1998, explained the Spencer's Island resident, and long time community correspondent for The Citizen, lived a simple life and had never married or had children. When drawing up her will, she indicated she would like to donate a portion of her estate to the new hospital. As a result almost $140,000 was left to the hospital foundation.

Named after Spicer, the garden will be a place for quite reflection, sensory awakening and will provide a very unique and uplifting experience for patients, staff and visitors according to the managing director of the hospital foundation. "Plans for the healing garden include a fountain, scent garden and shaded seating area, as well as a pathway for walking," explained Swan. She added there is an irrigation system to protect the garden against drought and a lighting system for evening hours.

"The bequest was so generous that a portion has been set aside to be invested, which will ensure funding for ongoing maintenance of this beautiful property," said Swan. Haugg noted approximately $50,000 has been invested as a separate healing garden fund for this maintenance. He explained it isn't good enough to just set something up and then expose to budget shortages and other neglectful reasons for skimping on maintenance.

"A lot of insight and gone into the use of this money," added Haugg. After struggling to identify something suitable because Spicer left no other instructions for the money, and consulting with her nephew, a healing garden named in her memory was settled upon by the Cumberland Health Care Foundation. "She and her family wanted to have the bequest recognized in a tangible fashion," added Haugg.

"The family was very supportive of the garden idea. Holly loved gardening and flowers and liked to surround herself with beauty," added Haugg. "The family felt it was very suitable."

"We are exceptionally pleased that Ms. Spicer thought to include us as part of her legacy," said Swan. She added staff and patients at the hospital are very excited about the initiative and the opportunity it will provide to all patients, staff and visitors to the facility. Once completed, a plaque with a bit of history will be placed in the garden. The door way leading out to the healing garden is located in the hallway between the medical and ICU units. Swan added signage will be placed in the hospital directing people to the garden upon its completion.